19 August 2014
Following their first public air display together at Eastbourne, the two Lancasters plus two BBMF Spitfires landed at the iconic Biggin Hill airfield in Kent, which was to be their base for the next couple of days of airshow appearances in the South East.
The Lancasters are the well known BBMF Lancaster B1 PA474, currently painted as DV385 “Thumper III” of 617 sqn Dambusters and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Lancaster BX C-GVRA painted as KB726 “VR-A” to commemorate Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski VC who was killed on that aircraft when he struggled to free the tail gunner from the burning aircraft after it had been shot down on June 13 1944.
C-GVRA has never been to the UK before and set out from Hamilton on 5 Aug for the 3,700 mile flight to RAF Conningsby. With stops in Goose Bay, Labrador and Keflavik, Iceland, it was a trouble free flight and in good weather until reaching the UK.
